Home : A Lapis & Peridot Story (ongoing)
by Pieridot
Summary: Shortly after Steven and the Crystal Gems return to Beach City, a once fiery hatred is dosed by compassion, and sympathy. Both making a home in a planet they both once hated, Peridot and Lapis further understands what Earth has to offer, together. From simple insects to human relationships, perhaps this world has more for them than they think.
1. 1 : Dawn of a New Day

**_\- Chapter 1 : Dawn of a New Day -_**

* * *

 _"I…I can't take this anymore, Peridot. I'm sorry"_ Lazuli clamored standing up.

 _"No, Lapis…wait!"_ Peridot answered, grabbing on to the blue gem's arm _"I can explain…"_

 _"It's too late, Peridot. I've had enough of this… please… just let me go…"_ Lapis shouted as she jerked her arm away from her roommate. Wringing her wrist, she spreads open her aquatic wings, covering almost the entire entrance of the barn. The angered Peridot stood up and started rushing towards Lazuli, giving the gem on her back a nice, firm slap-strong enough to stagger her forward, but weak enough to keep her gem undamaged- causing her wings to dissipate.

 _"Camp Pining Hearts Season 4 isn't as complicated as you think, see, here, Lapis…"_ And on that moment, Lazuli realized that she has entered yet another lecture about how good the show's relationships are built, and how each character contrasts to their respective partners. Minutes turn to hours, Lapis didn't even realize that Peridot's explanations started to sound like muffled babble. Every once in a while, she'd make sure to nod, or at least move her head a tad bit, just to imply that she is still listening, even though, clearly, she lost interest the moment Peridot mentioned the name of the show.

Pretty much how any day in the barn would end up, Lapis and Peridot, sitting beside each other, their feet dangling from the second floor of the barn, talking about almost anything that crosses their minds, looking out the gaping hole Peri's giant robot outbreak caused.

Lapis is pretty proud on her progress in getting to know Peridot. She noticed what her habits are: in the morning, she would take a walk around the field, maybe take a stroll around the nearby forest. In the afternoon, she would take a dip on the small pond she made for her, and every evening, she would call her roommate so they could binge watch Camp Pining Hearts again. Although Lapis has been long tired of that cheesy show, she still sympathizes with Peridot and watches it anyways. Even though she knows that at the end of the day, she'll start babbling on again and again about the series, and maybe kind of hoped that she never had watched that show in the first place.

As proud as Lapis is to herself, so does Peridot to hers. Even though most of the time, Lapis spends her time sitting on top of the silo, she can't help but notice that their eyes would sometimes meet, and they'd quickly look away shortly after. The barn isn't some place the two could call a home yet, but they both know they're getting there slowly, day by day.

The gems didn't go with Steven's "divided" idea, however, then line he drew is still on the barn floor, but they just choose to ignore it. Peridot successfully negotiated the paint cans from her barn buddy, although to be fair, she never really cared about anything in her side of the barn aside from her brown leaf. To Peridot's curiosity, she got to asking.

 _"Hey, Lazuli."_ She called.

 _"What's up?"_ Lapis replied.

 _"So… uh…"_ she paused for a second, trying to piece together what she's about to say. _"is that leaf like, magical or something?"_

 _"No, this is just an ordinary leaf."_

 _"Then why keep it?"_

 _"Steven gave it to me. He gave it to me when I flew with him."_

 _"Is that so? Where did you go?"_

 _"Well, at first, we went gliding through the forest. The one you walk in every day. He explained the seasons to me, and this process called…Fotosympetis? something like that. It has something to do with the flowers..."_

Lapis went on telling Peridot about the places they went to. The big city, afterwards, they soared high in the sky, above the clouds. _"It was beautiful, as always. I always loved the feeling of being free… being able to soar that high without anyone telling you not to… without anything preventing me from doing so."_ She added gleefully, followed by a sudden silence. Peridot was confused by the sudden dead of air, she sees Lapis staring in to nothing, as if she was stunned in awe—or in fear.

 _"Hey Lapis, you alright?"_ Peri exclaimed in a worried tone. She started shaking Lapis' shoulders, hoping to knock her back to her senses. It was no good. It was then, she realized she was having another flashback of her imprisonment. The post-traumatic stress that would cause to a gem could drive any gem insane. Fortunately, Lapis is able to contain her fears and control them. Although she finds it relatively hard, she hasn't driven to insanity. She tried anything that she could. Snap her fingers in front of her, shout at her face, even bang a pair of cans near her ears. Nothing broke her from her terrifying trance.

Peridot notices Lazuli's hands, shaking, with the brown leaf straddling by her fingertips. Before the leaf would fall off her hands, Peridot grasped her hands, and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

 _"It's alright, Lapis. You're safe now."_

In an instant, Lapis gripped the leaf, along with Peridot's hands, as a tear rushed down her cheek.

 _"Now, now. It's all okay" (I can't believe we're bonding again!)_

 _"Hey, Peri… if it's too much to ask… could I hug you?"_

 _"Ehhhrm…Sure! Why not."_

As their chests pressed on to each other, they feel their warmth interchange. Both has never felt this feeling before—not from a full gem, at least, but a half-gem? Many, many times.— Lapis started sobbing on Peridot's shoulder, as she brushes her soft, blue hair with her fingers.

Peridot's eyes catch on to her Camp Pining Hearts tapes from far against Lapis' back, and got an idea.

 _"Lapis, get ready. Tomorrow, we're going on a trip of our own"_

The two have been hugging for quite a while, but neither of them even mind. The barn's atmosphere was admirable. Having no pollution around, you can appreciate how beautiful and clear the stars appear to be. It was just the two of them, together under the starry, night sky.


	2. 2 : Leaf by the Wind

_**\- Chapter 2 : Leaf by the Wind -**_

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 _"Are you ready to leave?"_ asked the eager Lapis.

 _"Hold on. I gotta make sure nobody steals my height increasers. It's hard to look for them, you know."_ replied Peridot.

 _"Oh, come on. who's dumb enough to steal a bunch of cans?"_

 _"Hey-you'll never know."_

As Peridot stacked her cans to a perfect pyramid, to Lazuli's pleasure, it was already time to go. In a rapid and fluid movement, Lapis spread her wings once again, clear water barricading almost half of the entire barn door, preparing to take flight. _"You better not slap my wings shut again, or I swear the stars, you'll be needing your limb enhancers again."_ She puts her arms on her waist, forming two holes big enough to fit one leg on each one. _"Hop on. I know what I'm doing."_ Peridot, having total regard on how unsafe her suggestion appears, hops on to her back, putting one leg on each of Lapis' arm as she locks hers on the blue gem's torso. _"Please don't kill me."_ She mumbled, shaking in fear for what's about to happen. _"T-To... Barkley Forest. I'll guide you there."_ She added nervously.

 _"I havent flown in a while... Gotta say, I do miss my limb enhancers."_ She added. Before Peridot could even mutter another word, she felt a quick breeze pass through her entire body,forcing her to close her eyes in shock. After sometime caving herself against the blue gem's back, she felt that the flight has somewhat became stable. Peridot opened her eyes slowly, looking at Lazuli's rather cobalt-toned skin. She looked down, to her surprise, they were already about a couple miles above ground. Shaking in slight fear, Peridot embraced Lapis tighter. _"Please, please, please... don't let go..."_ This wasn't the first time Peridot's feet were at least 12 feet off the ground, but it sure as well look like it. _"Perhaps this might not be the right time to talk about my fear of heights, yeah?"_ She opened up. _"Well I'll tell you anyways..."_ Just like that, Lazuli is in yet another hour-long lecture, only this time, one thing was different. She was actually listening.

She went on explaining why she doesn't look down while flying unless really necessary. _"See, I'm not afraid of heights, really. I'm afraid of being damaged when if I fall too high."_ She confessed. _"Wouldn't want this beauty of a gem to be destroyed, now do we?"_ One would hear from afar the sigh Lapis let out reacting from such a narcissistic remark, but shortly after, she giggled, reverting her focus back to flying. Lapis was quiet, not even saying a single word-but the smile on her face makes it obvious that she was already enjoying their adventure, even if it was just starting.

 _"Peridot..."_ Lazuli called, in the middle of Peridot's long statement on how Percy cheated during the three-legged race. _"Is this what I think it is?"_ She added.

 _"What are you talking about, Lazuli?"_ Peridot asked confusingly. Was it true that Percy cheated? How hard could a three-legged race be? _"Based on our 33rd time watching Camp Pining Hearts... Did you just... ask me out on a date?"_ Lapis asked cautiously.

 _"WHAT?! A...A... date..?"_ Peridot was in shock. She sat on Lazuli's back, confused, rethinking what could have made her think it was. Albeit she doesn't necessarily reject the idea of it, her intentions were extremely pure. All she wanted to do was to give her barnmate-and fellow fugitive _(if you rather consider them that)_ -something to help ease her mind with.

 _"I have no idea what you're talking about, Lazuli. We're just going camping. No big deal."_ She shrugged the assumption off. Lapis let off a weak sigh, either from exhaustion, sadness-or both. A few minutes have passed, and not a single strand of words came out from each other. Before the two even broke the awkward silence between them, they were already there.

 _"Barkley Forest. Not the best forest we could go to, but how different could forests be."_ Peridot commented as she hops off the blue gem's back and started straightening up her uniform. _"It appears that I have left my recorder back at the barn. Come on, we have much to... 'discover'..."_ She huffed begrudgingly. Lapis looked around, admiring the beautiful canopies that overlooks the two gems, as the gentle heat of the sun's beam shine down on their alien skin.

 _"What made the brown leaf in the barn so special for you? There's like, a million here, and it's all on the ground."_ Asked the confused Peridot, kicking the bundle of leaves beneath her feet. _"Well, there may be many leaves out here. Probably more than I can count. However, as goes with all things, there's always one that means the most to you."_ Lapis replied as she caught a dry, brown leaf slowly cascading from the tips of the trees.

 _"And why does it mean so much to you?"_

 _"Because it's mine."_ Lapis replied quickly.

 _"It's my leaf."_ she added shortly after.

For a moment, Peridot started thinking. She sat on the spot where leaves once were, playing with the leaves in front of her, later on she lies down on the floor covered in crispy, brown leaves. _"Just like this."_ Lapis said with a reassuring tone, slowly approaching Peridot with a rather, peculiar looking leaf. _"Here. Take it. It's like it was meant for you anyways."_ The blue gem handed Peridot the orange leaf shaped like her own head. The green gem notices the small brown spot on the middle part of the leaf, resembling her own gem. Peridot looks at her it, and closes her eyes as she reminisces about Homeworld.

 _"It's unfortunate that us gems don't have the luxury for such... Leaves."_ She started wondering. Homeworld is far too crystallized to even have plants on its surface. It's as if the whole planet is one colossal gem. _"I have never even felt soil, until when I step foot on this planet."_ She added. _"But I don't miss homeworld one bit."_

The two just laid down on the floor, looking up towards the distant canopies, again talking about how their life was different when they started to live on planet earth. Birds chirping, insects scuttling all over the soil, the world is just full of life. Every nook and cranny has at least one living thing in it. Even the plants are alive. The wind whispers to the two gems, as leaves from all around started froming small cyclones. It was indeed a windy day.

 _"We have so much to learn, Lazuli. Life to understand, creatures to discover, places to behold."_ Peridot exclaimed while bolting upwards. Looking down on Lapis, who is obviously completely perplexed over the sudden realization that what she has learned so far is not even close to what she think the whole entirety is. For a while, the blue gem just stared at the sky-the sky she has been under it for so long, but never, not even once, did she ever claim it as her sky. In her mind, she's just a prisoner. Stuck in the planet just because she can't go anywhere-that, and Steven-It will take some time before she would welcome her new home to her own self.

 _"I know we have to make a home out of this place. Learning about it is the first step."_ Lazuli declared.

Peridot let out a soft giggle, as she stands up and brushes off the muck and grime that might have stuck on to her uniform. She reaches her hand out to Lapis, signaling that she should stand up. _"And I'm with you, every step of the way."_ She added, as the blue gem grasped on to her hand tightly, pulling herself upward, causing Peridot to lean a bit forward, but enough to keep her balance.

 _"I'm glad that you're with me. As a friend this time."_ Lapis let out, with a rather huge smile on her face, realizing that the person she once hated, became what could only be the only gem she can relate to the most-a fellow fugitive, a fellow gem who is only starting to make a home out of this world. She then started brushing away the dirt from her dress, and gives Peridot a quick, reassuring nod.

 _"Now, come on. Let's take a look around the place, shall we?"_ The green gem asked enthusiastically, reaching her hand to Lazuli once more. Lapis unhesitantly grabs on Peridot's hand, and grips it tightly, implying that she is ready to take on the adventure that lies ahead. She looks at her eyes, and lets off a quick wink-to which, in Peridot's response, she blushed in an instant, causing her to look away in shame, but their hands are still interlocked with each other.

 _"We shall."_

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 _please stay tuned, it doesn't end here. Thank you for reading my story! I hope you liked it :) Feel free to leave suggestions and comments. I update as often as I can. Take care! (im gonna make the next chapters longer, so the wait is way more rewarding ;) I promise!)_


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